March 7th - March 13th
I think it's safe to assume that we all know that I cook pretty much every day. When I wake up I don't ask myself if I want to cook instead, it's what do I want to cook. Sometimes I make something as a fun way to fill my day, sometimes I try new things to keep learning, or I just throw a meal together because we need to eat. I managed to cook every day this week but I haven't had much motivation to make anything. I have hit a point of mild burnout where being creative is hard and cooking/photographing/posting feels like a chore. Nothing particular happened I just need a break and this week I cooked to eat. I'll be out of the o̶f̶f̶i̶c̶e̶ kitchen next week on a camping trip and hope it works as a nice little reset.
We have done dozens of camping trips over the last few years, driving up, across, and all around the country. We have explored the national parks, hiked over many mountains, and stopped at all the ridiculous roadside stops. There is something nostalgic and simple about being on a camping trip. Listening to the meditative hum of a car for hours, having nowhere to be, waking and sleeping with the sun's schedule, making friends with strangers, disconnecting from the always connected phones we have, and being present in nature. It's pure bliss and the only time I can go days without a real shower and not care. Camping feels primal, natural, and real. Like you are really living. It's not for everyone but I love every aspect of it.
That being said we are car campers and camp very luxuriously. We bring a queen-size air mattress (the only way our bodies can hang in there for two weeks), real pillows, hammocks, and an inflatable sofa. We don't eat freeze-dried or a ton of canned food. Our camp kitchen is stocked with everything you need for over-the-fire cooking or cooking on the camp stove. Our extra-large cooler is stocked with fresh produce, herbs, and proteins for me to make us real meals every day. We bring multiple boxes filled with every unnecessary gadget and accessory possible so after we hike all day we can be real comfortable back at camp. Last week we purchased some kayaks and roof racks to take with us. Our campsite is right on a lake and early morning/sunset cruises will take our camping trips up a notch.
I spent a lot of time organizing and replenishing our supplies this week. I prepped my camp pantry with all the staples, pre squeezed some lemon juice, made salsa and salad dressings, and preportioned spices for campfire chili. I cooked a few recipes from this month's cookbook (paella, biscotti, potato salad, pot de crème), and the other nights I stuck to easy dishes. Dishes that involve easy to master techniques and can be tweaked however you like. These meals I have made hundreds of times and don't take a lot of brainpower during my temporary burnout.
Sunday's simple dinner was a clean out the fridge niçoise-ish salad using what I had at home. Lettuce, radishes, sliced red onion, avocado, cucumbers, boiled potatoes, jammy eggs, capers, microgreens, and oil-packed tuna. I like to keep oil-packed tuna around for adding directly to dishes. No mixing with mayo. Do NOT toss the olive oil that the tuna is packed in! It's just lightly flavored olive oil and can be substituted in dishes where you use...olive oil! I used a few tablespoons to make my salad dressing with dijon and white balsamic vinegar.
Cooking a chicken is a prime example of something you can do hundreds of ways without much thought. You can rub pretty much anything on it, pop it in the oven or on a grill, and you will have a fabulous meal. This week I spatchcocked and grilled my bird. I seasoned it all over with salt and za'atar. That's it. Skin side down for 15 minutes, flipped and cooked until 170 degrees. I'll be grilling chicken while camping next week because it really is easy.
Here are some of my favorite chicken seasonings:
Pepper - Equal parts black peppercorns, pink peppercorns, and kosher salt
Beans, are you sick of hearing about beans yet? The humble bean is my go-to "I don't know what to cook" meal. This week I made saucy beans. I had five bland out-of-season tomatoes going bad on my counter that needed to be used. On the stove, I cooked onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, and tomatoes to create a sauce. Seasoned with fennel seeds, dried rosemary, and cumin seeds, I thinned it out with liquid from a basic pot of beans and simmered for 15ish minutes. Before serving I mixed in the cooked beans and a small handful of leftover chopped kale. Marco ate his bowl as is and I topped mine with a fried egg. A true clean-out fridge meal.
That same night I roasted a cauliflower. Cauliflower, like chicken, can be seasoned with just about anything, forgot about it in the oven, and will always come out delicious. This week I seasoned florets with olive oil, salt, and goan masala.
My other go-to roasted cauliflower seasonings are:
Turmeric, Cumin, + Coconut Oil
I pulled my Smushed Sweet Potato recipe out of the vault for my Thursday recipe this week. A six-ingredient vegetarian dish that originated as a clean out the fridge meal. Whole sweet potatoes are baked in an oven until tender. While they bake, I toast some pistachios and make a simple sour cream sauce. Right before serving I smash the sweet potatoes and caramelize them in a pan. This dish is simple but well-balanced.
I rounded out the week with my current obsession, polenta. This time topped with oyster mushrooms, carmelized shallots, and thyme. Polenta is good with literally anything on top of it!
Recipes From This Week:
Thing Everybody Needs:
I like to use Bon Ami when my cookware needs a big scrub because it doesn't contain harsh chemicals but every now and then things might need a BIG scrub and Bar Keepers Friend is required. Like when I forgot about a chicken heart and gizzard I was boiling for Josie...BKF cleaned it in under 10 minutes. Get it, you need it.
Animal Cuteness:
Ready for our trip 😬
Random Thing From This Week:
The bulbs have started popping up!
Book I'm Cooking Through This Month:
Hot & Hot Fish Club Cookbook, Chris Hastings
Recap + review 3/31
Mixing it up for next week's newsletter. I won't be sharing what I am cooking because I will be out of the kitchen but I have a lot of fun food-related stuff coming at ya!
See you next week,
Marcella
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